A Salve for Many Things
by Lady Kes
Summary: In the aftermath of Mr. Pamuk's unfortunate demise, Anna finds herself in need of a salve. Anna/Bates friendship


Pairing: Anna/Bates friendship  
Rating: G  
A/N: I recently re-watched this episode and felt very sorry for Anna. She had to carry a corpse and then go about her day's work with almost no sleep. Yarrow is actually reputed to have the properties I attribute to it, as well.

* * *

Dead men were remarkably heavy. That wasn't something she'd ever wanted to know, but she knew it now. She'd carried heavy things before, of course, since she'd been very young, but nothing had made her muscles hurt quite like last night's events. She had been tired all day, too, which had resulted in more than one stinging comment from Thomas and O'Brien, and of course Mrs. Hughes had been quite concerned. It wasn't that she hadn't done what needed to be done, and she'd done it all to Mrs. Hughes' satisfaction, but it hadn't been done exactly as well as she usually did it.

Finally, she got through the whole long day and safely to dinner, but even then she wasn't quite safe. Reaching for the tureen made her shoulders cramp and she nearly dropped it. She would have, actually, if Mr. Bates hadn't put a hand up to take it. He looked a bit startled to have it transferred to him quite so abruptly, but he adjusted quickly and no one seemed to notice other than Mrs. Hughes, who gave her yet another searching look to add to the day full of them. There would certainly be a conversation about this later.

"Now, what is it, Anna? And don't tell me it's nothing," Mrs. Hughes said firmly but kindly as they stood in the hall after dinner and out of earshot of the general populace.

"I'm just a bit sore, Mrs. Hughes. I must have lifted something poorly," she said, since telling the truth was clearly not going to work. Lady Mary had trusted her with this secret and she would not betray her ladyship. She didn't like lying, and especially not to Mrs. Hughes, but this wasn't quite a lie. She had lifted something poorly, after all.

"And why did you not ask for help? You must look after your health if you want to have a long future in service," Mrs. Hughes gently scolded, and Anna nodded in respectful acknowledgment. There was no other possible response when being scolded.

"You'll have an early night and put a salve on," Mrs. Hughes continued firmly. "You stay here while I look for it."

"Yes, Mrs. Hughes," Anna replied obediently as the housekeeper disappeared into her sitting room. She waited outside, standing quietly out of tiredness more than any particular sense of proper deportment, and she felt her mind drift gently off even while she stood. That hadn't happened since her first few months in service, and she was glad of the gentle tapping sound of Mr. Bates' cane to wake her up.

"Been called on the carpet?" he asked her, then glanced down at the bare floor and back up again with a eye-crinkling smile. "Figuratively speaking, of course."

"That sounds like something someone in one of your books would say," she pointed out, smiling at him tiredly.

"Oh, it probably is," he replied comfortably, leaning on his cane in a way that made it seem like he was planning to stand and chat. Normally she'd be quite pleased to talk to Mr. Bates, but tonight she didn't think she would do the conversation any justice.

"I can't find it, Anna," Mrs. Hughes said regretfully, bustling back out of her sitting room. "I must have lent it - oh, Mr. Bates. I didn't know you were here."

"I'm just moving along," Mr. Bates assured her, and shifted to do just that before Mrs. Hughes put up a hand to halt him.

"It occurs to me that I gave my muscle salve to you, Mr. Bates. Do you happen to remember if you've got any left?"

"I'm certain I do, Mrs. Hughes," he confirmed courteously.

"Good, then will you please give it to Anna? And Anna, will you return it to me when you've finished with it?"

"Of course." "Yes, Mrs. Hughes." They said simultaneously, and they looked at each other with tiny smiles.

"I'll say goodnight, then, Anna. Mr. Bates," she said firmly, and Anna took her cue to begin walking with Mr. Bates up the many flights to the attics. She matched her pace to his as usual, since it was rude to leave a companion behind. Besides, she couldn't talk to him if she walked too fast.

"Got a bad leg?" he asked casually, and she chuckled through her exhaustion.

"No, just a backache. Too many chandeliers dusted today, I expect," she joked, though it wasn't a good one and he probably didn't believe her.

"I'm certain whoever invented the chandelier didn't consider the difficulty in cleaning one," he agreed, and his glance confirmed that he indeed didn't believe her, but was of course too polite to press her about it.

She chuckled again, but didn't otherwise reply, and they continued up the stairs in silence. It was a comfortable silence, and Mr. Bates' pace was actually very nice considering how tired she was.

When they finally reached the attics, he went into his room for the salve and she stood outside. She could see from the mirror that the room was as well-kept as always, but it was still his room, and she didn't wish to pry. Besides, an unmarried lady did not go into a gentleman's room, not even for medicinal purposes.

"Here it is," he said, and brought the small jar out to her again. "The instructions from Mrs. Hughes were to generously apply it to whatever aches. I wouldn't be too generous, though, or you'll keep Gwen up with the smell."

That made her curious, so she opened the jar and sniffed gently. It smelled like yarrow, but it wasn't bad. There were worse-smelling salves.

"Yarrow," she observed. "Well, if I should want to find my true love, this would certainly be a good choice."

"You might start with just soothing the backache," he suggested, with another one of those crinkly smiles, and she blushed. Talking of finding her true love in front of Mr. Bates? What must he think of her? And why was she thinking of love at all?

"Of course. Thank you, Mr. Bates," she agreed, and turned to go.

"Good night, Anna. I hope tomorrow is a better day," he replied, and she smiled at him over her shoulder.

"It can't be much worse, so I expect it'll be better," she decided. "Good night, Mr. Bates."

After that encounter, even without the salve, she was sure she'd sleep well and feel better tomorrow. Dead men were heavy, but her heart was light.


End file.
